Last month I headed along to Octane.ie’s Midwest Cars&Coffee meet. There was a nice selection of distinctive cars at it and the owners were more than happy to chat about them. The Alfa GTV6 was gorgeous, fully restored and in immaculate condition, so I moved the Giulietta and parked side-by-side to see if any of the Alfa Romeo DNA remained.
There are some pics up on the group’s FaceBook page. You might spot a familiar white snout amongst them!
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Last Thursday, the sun was shining and I had the evening off, so I took the opportunity to go for a blast up the hills around Mitchelstown. I put up a post just before heading off to say the Galtees were calling, however, I decided to head for The Vee in the Knockmealdowns instead. I love the roads up there, well surfaced and winding and the views of the surrounding area are fantastic.
With the Giulietta’s climate control keeping me cool, my favourite tunes coming from the Blue&Me infotainment system and Dynamic-mode keeping me entertained, it was a great way to spend the evening and a welcome change from the humdrum of everyday driving. The roads were mostly empty, I met more sheep than oncoming traffic, so I seem to have stumbled upon the perfect time to go driving these roads. I’m not going to broadcast it here but there’s a clue in the video!
Share on FacebookWell, he hasn’t really, but the weather made me think of the Kinks song and now it’s stuck in my head…
If I’m on your Twitter feed, you’ll see that I’m heading off for a drive up the Galtees to make the most of an evening off, the glorious weather outside and an Alfa Romeo outside the door. Full update when I get back (if I come back!). La bella vita!
The Galtees in the distance, have some great twisties on the way up and back down
All I need this evening
I found this article interesting and reassuring for any Alfa fans out there. It confirms what I’ve been hearing third-hand and experienced myself whilst driving the Giulietta, Alfa Romeo is back in the game.
Blighted by rust and electrical nightmare stories in the 80′s and early-90′s, Alfa found it hard to shake this image, despite outputting quality cars like the GT, 159, MiTo and now, the Giulietta. The latest JD Power Survey, the most recognised satisfaction survey in the motor industry, shows how consumers feel about their ownership experiences and has placed Alfa Romeo in joint tenth position, alongside Toyota and Volkswagen, beating brands like Ford, Nissan and Mazda.
Here are the top 20:
1. Lexus – 84.5%
2. Honda – 83.3%
3. Jaguar – 82.5%
3. Skoda – 82.5%
5. MINI – 82.2%
6. Mercedes-Benz – 82.1%
7. BMW – 81.7%
8. Audi – 81.2%
9. Volvo – 81.1%
10. Alfa Romeo – 80.5%
10. Toyota – 80.5%
10. Volkswagen – 80.5%
13. Nissan – 80.2%
14. Land Rover – 80.1%
15. Mazda – 79.9%
16. Hyundai – 79.2%
16. Saab – 79.2%
18. Citroen – 79%
18 Ford – 79%
20. Kia – 78.3%
Between the two Giuliettas I’ve had, I’ve covered around 23,000kms with zero issues, no rattles, squeaks or worries. People might say, well you’d expect a brand new car to be faultless, but having worked in the motor-trade, I’ve seen that this is not always the case.
The Giulietta has been a worthy daily driver, the best I’ve ever had, by being comfy, refined, spacious, economical, fun and characterful. Would I buy one? Definitely. Would I recommend one to a friend? Absolutely. Even if I didn’t drive the thing, I still get a kick out of its looks and styling. Buying an Alfa used to be described as a heart-over-head decision, well now, you can satisfy both.
Share on FacebookThis month Alfa asked us to choose a song that makes us think of the Giulietta. When I heard that, there were was only one song it could be, Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. It’s a song that never fails to put me in a good mood, just like driving me Julie!
I first listened to the band in March and Home just hooked me straight away. Such a great tune to sing/whistle along to in the car, it’s definitely my most-played track of 2011.
Two weeks ago, I was in Copenhagen with some friends and told them about the task Alfa Romeo had set and how I would use Home. Then one day cycling around, we spotted a poster saying Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes were playing in the city the following night, obviously we had to go!
The gig was fantastic, really energetic band, and we then had the pleasure of meeting Orpheo and Jade (from the band) afterwards. So, I’ve made a video using the bands’ and some of my own footage to try and get across the feeling I get from driving the Giulietta and some of the things I’ve done since getting the car in February. I hope you like it!
P.S. If you like the song, it’s available to download in iTunes and the band will be playing Dublin this week followed by Electric Picnic.
Share on FacebookThanks to Julie2, I was able to bring my little brother and his friend Kat to his debs last week in style
Brought the Giulietta on a Saturday drive with some of the members of AlfaOwner.com a few weeks ago. We met in Fermoy before lunch, headed towards Lismore and took a detour up through the Vee.
I drove the Vee a couple of times in Julie1 and it’s the perfect road to stick on Dynamic mode with the DNA selector. The drive back to Mitchelstown was a memorable one, taking in some nice twisties and the local scenery. Good roads and days like these prove to me that Alfa Romeos still put a spark into everyday driving that you just don’t get with most marques.
I put a short video together of the day, but instead of focusing purely on the Giulietta this time round, I thought I’d introduce some of la famiglia di Alfa Romeo.
At the event in Alfa HQ when all 8 Real People contestants received their new Lusso’s, we were told that an extra dimension to the competition would be added. Alongside the blogging, a monthly task would be rolled out and we would have a couple of weeks to fulfil it.
So about a fortnight ago, Alfa contacted us and said we had to get our cars in a current affairs related photo/scenario. With government announcements making headlines on a daily basis and the recent closing of the News of The World, I thought, I’m going to have to go to Dublin to get something relevant. Thankfully I didn’t have to go that far.
One morning, browsing RTE news online, I saw that Obama was getting grief from the Republicans over American debt and funding. Eureka! I’ve been working between Tipperary and Limerick for the past month, not too far from a certain little village that recently enjoyed global exposure. So, I jumped into Julie2 and headed to Moneygall to see if I could incorporate her into a good shot.
I pulled up outside Ollie Hayes’ bar (is this now the most famous pub in Ireland?) and snapped this pic with the American flags over the door.
The arrival of Giulietta in the village must have made an impression because would you believe who came out next, only the man himself!
Many thanks to Ollie Hayes and his brother for introducing me to Barack and helping take the pics. And much praise to the local community for the work they’ve done in the village over the past few months. Since the lengthened M7 opened, bypassing Moneygall, I haven’t had reason to pass through and was amazed by the transformation, it really is a credit to the parish.
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On Sunday June 26th, I headed off to Bray in the Giulietta to meet up with some of the members from AlfaOwner.com for their big Summer Meet. There was a nice turn out of cars (3 x 166′s, GTV, Spider, 33, 2 x 159′s, 156) and we had a great day driving in the Wicklow Mountains and chatted about all things Alfa when pulled in. Julie2 had a welcome reception from the hardcore Alfisti and tackled the winding twisting route with gusto (Dynamic engaged most of the way!).
I put the underneath video together to give readers of the blogs, a small taste of what Alfa ownership is about. Obviously the style factor is there, as are enjoyable driving dynamics, but there’s also a certain je ne sais quoi involved with driving an Alfa Romeo that is hard to express unless you experience it. It was great being part of the convoy of Alfas, watching people smile and wave as we went past. I can’t think of any other mainstream manufacturer that receives as much goodwill and affection as Alfa Romeo does.
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